Civil-service exams
The competitive Sergeant, Lieutenant, and Captain eligible lists behind NYPD promotions — how deep each list reached and how long officers waited. From public DCAS records.
Upcoming exam filing windows
When you can apply for the next NYPD promotion exams. This is the application window, not the test date.
Sergeant10/7/2026 – 10/27/2026Exam 7533Upcoming
Lieutenant5/5/2027 – 5/25/2027Exam 7520Upcoming
Captain
| Exam | Established | List size | Promoted* | Median lag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exam 2558 · active | 12/21/2022 | 497 | 270 | 1.6 yr |
| Exam 7544 | 7/18/2018 | 266 | 198 | 2.6 yr |
| Exam 4543 | 10/14/2015 | 118 | 62 | 1.1 yr |
Lieutenant
| Exam | Established | List size | Promoted* | Median lag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exam 3528 · active | 12/20/2023 | 1,218 | 683 | 0.8 yr |
| Exam 7532 | 5/16/2018 | 1,325 | 872 | 3.1 yr |
Sergeant
| Exam | Established | List size | Promoted* | Median lag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exam 2538 · active | 5/24/2023 | 4,347 | 1,902 | 1.3 yr |
| Exam 6540 | 1/24/2018 | 2,682 | 2,077 | 3 yr |
| Exam 3539 | 12/9/2015 | 932 | 585 | 1 yr |
*Officers currently on the rosterwe could confidently attribute to each list — a lower bound, since officers who have since left aren't counted.
Exam filing windows
The application (filing) period on record for each promotion exam — the window to apply, not the test date. From DCAS; subject to change.
Captain
| Exam | Filing opens | Filing closes | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exam 6569 | 5/7/2026 | 5/27/2026 | Closed |
Lieutenant
| Exam | Filing opens | Filing closes | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exam 7520 | 5/5/2027 | 5/25/2027 | Upcoming |
| Exam 3528 | 12/1/2022 | 12/21/2022 | Closed |
| Exam 2529 | 4/6/2022 | 4/26/2022 | Closed |
Sergeant
| Exam | Filing opens | Filing closes | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exam 7533 | 10/7/2026 | 10/27/2026 | Upcoming |
| Exam 2538 | 5/4/2022 | 5/24/2022 | Closed |